Thursday, October 07, 2010

First Amendment, Privacy, Decency?

The Supreme Court head the oral arguments yesterday in the case that pits the Westboro Baptist Church against the bereaved father of a fallen soldier--do the members of the Phelps family (most of the members of the Westboro Church) have the right to their antigay speech used at intrusive but legal protests at the funeral of fallen soldiers? The Phelps family church believes that "God hates homosexuality and hates and punishes America for its tolerance of homosexuality" especially in the military. (note to self: Don't Ask, Don't Tell equals tolerance???????)

Read the arguments:http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/09-751.pdf

And some analysis:www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/snyder-v-phelps/

Dr.JAM is a professor of Political Science and Women's Studies at Marist College, Poughkeepsie NY. Her main focus is teaching students to be critical thinkers and active citizens. She worked in both the Koch and Cuomo administrations before returning to academia. She teaches Modern Political Thought, Contemporary Ideologies, Feminist Political Thought, American National Government, Political Ideas and Issues, Political and Social Movements, among other courses.
She writes a regular column (Walk the Talk) in InsideOut (tm). She has written many articles and books including The Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian Liberation Movement: Still the Rage (Rowman Littlefield, 2003). An active citizen, she served on the boards of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (where she once was cook); The Grace Smith House,currently she serves on the (executive) boards of the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at ValKill and the Ulster County Democratic Women. $>